Last night Gunny and Hope accompanied me to the U.S. National Whitewater Center to meet up with some NMAR volunteers and some adoptable dogs. While listening to a band and socializing, we hoped that we’d run into some potential Forever Homes. The main problem of the evening was that it was HOT and very sunny at the Center. Both dogs were concerning me, so I walked them over to a boat launching ramp in the man-made “river” where rafters and kayakers come to play. My sandals came off, and Gunny and I waded in, just deep enough for him to lay down and pretty much be covered except for his head. (Technically, we were breaking the rules, so I surely wasn’t going to go too far in). Hope was VERY brave and actually got her feet wet despite the waves rolling in towards the ramp. After a little waiting, she eventually made it as far as mid-forearm, which is HUGE for a dog to whom water meant a near-death experience.

There was a lot going on at the Center, with families and kids and dogs and people carrying kayaks, etc etc etc. Even with all the fun, Hope was surprisingly mature. Don’t get me wrong, she was very happy to be there, but she stood calmly, no Woo Woo’ing, no sucking on small children as an expression of her sheer joy. If people came up to say “hi”, she’d wiggle and wag, but no jumping and no acrobatics. I’m sure some of this was heat-related, but it was still cool to see her following in her brothers’ footsteps.